(Photo by Hal Brown)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea is arguing in a new campaign filing that his weekday radio show on New Jersey 101.5 does not amount to an impermissible in-kind contribution to his campaign because it does not include direct appeals for his election.

His two primary opponents are taking the opposite position, claiming in filings made public Tuesday by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission that the platform afforded to Spadea by the radio station amounts to aid well above the state’s campaign contribution limits.

The commission is due to hear arguments on the matter on Friday.

An adverse ruling would immediately spell trouble for Spadea, a conservative firebrand who has placed himself firmly in the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Apart from choosing whether to give up his radio show or his campaign, a ruling against him would likely put him in immediate violation of state campaign finance laws.

Spadea’s filing says his show does not constitute an in-kind contribution — that’s a non-monetary donation to a political campaign, usually in the form of goods or services — because state regulations define political communications as those urging the election or defeat of a given candidate. The radio host claims not to have made any such appeals.

“Thus, the mere presence of a candidate does not transform a communication into a ‘political communication contribution.’ It must include an explicit appeal for the election or defeat of a candidate,” Spadea’s attorneys wrote in their brief, which calls the commission’s planned review “extraordinary and extralegal.”

The brief adds that the proper procedure here would be for the commission to investigate only if Spadea engaged in political advocacy on his show, not “prospectively restricting speech that might potentially become a campaign contribution.”

Spadea’s attorneys appeared to admit in a footnote that the show could cause campaign finance issues come January.

The state regulations say communications absent a direct appeal for election are political communications if their audience is substantially made up of eligible voters, if they contain political objectives or achievements, and if they were made with at least some cooperation or consent from the candidate, subject to a time bar. For most candidates, that rule kicks in 90 days before an election. For gubernatorial candidates, it becomes effective on Jan. 1 of the year of the gubernatorial election — in this case, Jan. 1, 2025.

Townsquare Media, which owns New Jersey 101.5, echoed its host’s arguments in its own brief. It says a finding that his show is an in-kind contribution would improperly restrict speech.

“Classifying Spadea’s airtime as an in-kind contribution … would open the door to excessive regulation of media activities involving any candidate, chilling free speech and hindering political participation,” Townsquare’s attorneys wrote.

The station said it has instituted internal rules to bar mentions of Spadea’s candidacy or attacks on his opponents, adding he will no longer be allowed to host New Jersey 101.5 radio programs after he becomes a legally qualified candidate as defined by the Federal Communications Commission.

Spadea will meet that bar if and when he files nominating petitions and secures a spot on the ballot. The deadline to file nominating petitions is typically in late March or early April of the election year, or a little more than 60 days before the primary.

He could become a legally qualified candidate earlier if he declares a write-in campaign, though he is not expected to do so.

Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union), one of Spadea’s opponents for the Republican nomination, argues the show is an in-kind contribution because it is a contribution of a good or service — namely airtime — to a candidate.

“His program offers substantial promotional advantages to his campaign, including unrestricted market access and significant advertising influence typically purchased by other candidates,” attorney William Burns wrote for Bramnick’s campaign.

Bramnick’s attorneys cited a 1997 advisory opinion from the Election Law Enforcement Commission that found the publication of political newsletters could be an in-kind contribution. That opinion centered on a newsletter that was to be sent within the 90-day lockout period for non-gubernatorial candidates.

Attorneys for Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman mounting a third bid for governor next year, argue Spadea’s airtime is a contribution on different grounds. New Jersey’s definition of expenditure includes an exemption for some news coverage, but Ciattarelli’s campaign argues Spadea’s show does not qualify for this exception because it does not provide “reasonably equal coverage to all opposing candidates” as the exception requires.

“Even Spadea and Townsquare Media cannot credibly contend that they afford ‘reasonable equal coverage to all opposing candidates,’” attorney Mark Sheridan wrote for the Ciattarelli campaign. “Instead, they provide coverage to a single candidate with a single point of view.”

But that isn’t the only test in the news media exception. It also asks whether a candidate or political committee owns or controls the news organization’s facility. Spadea does not own or control Townsquare Media, his attorneys said in his filing.

Townsquare Media bills $500 per minute of airtime for ads on Spadea’s morning show, according to a rate card for political advertisements provided by the firm to Ciattarelli’s campaign.

Spadea’s show runs for 20 hours each week and has aired 28 hours since Spadea announced his candidacy. That could be up to $420,000 in airtime, though not all the time would be considered an expenditure even in the case of an adverse ruling. New Jersey caps campaign contributions to $5,800 per election.

“This situation is entirely of Spadea’s making. He could have sought an advisory opinion from this Commission as to whether his airtime constituted a ‘contribution’ under the Act,” Sheridan wrote. “Spadea and his employer, Townsquare Media, both failed to avail themselves of that opportunity.”

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(Photo by Hal Brown)

Radio talk show host Bill Spadea has had a lot to rant about recently.

On Friday morning, he needled NJ Transit over its disastrous service shutdowns and slapped Jersey Shore towns where free beach access has apparently led to too-crowded beaches. On Tuesday, he said he’d support state funds to pay for longer hours for lifeguards and he took a crack at Rutgers University.

Sort of typical for Spadea’s morning radio show on New Jersey 101.5. But now that he’s running for the GOP nod for governor next year, Spadea’s show is no longer just a chance for him to raise the blood pressure of his listeners by ranting about high taxes and those clowns in Trenton — it’s a daily, four-hour ad for Spadea’s campaign.

And it’s one that could go on for a while. Spadea’s bosses say they don’t intend to take him off the air until he becomes a “legally qualified” candidate. That could mean another nine months or so of New Jersey 101.5 giving Spadea free campaign ads, four hours a day, five days a week, unless someone steps in to stop them.

There are legal implications to all this — the Election Law Enforcement Commission will consider this week whether New Jersey 101.5 is providing an in-kind contribution to Spadea’s campaign by letting him stay on the air — but I’m less interested in what the station can and can’t do and more interested in what it should and shouldn’t do. Is it fair to let Spadea mouth off for hours every day while his opponents would have to pay New Jersey 101.5 to do the same? Shouldn’t a media company that has a healthy news component, one that is already covering next year’s race for governor, avoid giving free air time to one of the candidates?

I talked to some media watchers about this, like Joe Amditis. He’s associate director of operations for the Center for Cooperative Media, which is based at Montclair State University and hopes to grow and strengthen local news in the Garden State.

“I think it would come down to whether 101.5 considers itself a news organization,” he said. “There’s a lot of blurred lines for some orgs, especially for one like 101.5, which is not explicitly journalism.”

Kathryn Quigley, who teaches media ethics at Rowan University, where she chairs the school’s journalism department, wonders what New Jersey 101.5 would do if Spadea openly campaigned during his show.

“How will they react if he goes out of bounds?” Quigley asked. “Would they pull the plug on his show if warranted?”

The problem is it’s already warranted. Spadea previewed his campaign spiel in the video announcing his candidacy, and it’s nearly indistinguishable from his on-air musings: Taxes are too high, spending is out of control, liberals stink, so do RINOS, drag queens are bad, etc. He could change not one syllable of his show and it would still represent a free campaign ad.

Townsquare Media, which owns New Jersey 101.5, said in a statement when Spadea announced his bid for governor that it is aware of the issues involved here and has imposed some guidelines to ensure Spadea’s show adheres to “industry standards.” It’s unclear what those guidelines are, but one of the radio station’s fixes for this problem is a lengthy on-air disclaimer intended to distance itself from Spadea’s political career, but instead serves as a regular reminder that the station’s star personality is running for governor.

I asked some of Spadea’s opponents how they feel. Sen. Jon Bramnick, who is also seeking the GOP nomination for governor, said he doesn’t think this is complicated: New Jersey 101.5 is giving Spadea’s campaign something of value by keeping him on the air.

“If he’s talking policy, which he does every day, his opinion as to what should be done in the state of New Jersey, that means he’s campaigning and therefore there is value from the station that’s giving him that opportunity to speak,” he said.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who is vying for the Democratic nod for governor, has a different opinion: Spadea’s on-air takes on politics and policy may make him popular enough with Republican primary voters to win next June, but they will hurt him in November.

“I actually hope Spadea keeps his show because I’m excited to see him in the general election,” Fulop said.

The post New Jersey 101.5 is giving Bill Spadea an unfair advantage in 2025 gov race appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.

(Photo by Hal Brown)

The state’s elections law watchdog plans to examine whether the radio show hosted by a Republican running for governor provides an indirect financial benefit to his campaign.

The push pits the state Election Law Enforcement Commission against the candidate, Bill Spadea, and New Jersey 101.5, the radio station where Spadea hosts a four-hour morning show each weekday.

Spadea announced Monday that he is seeking the GOP nod for governor in 2025, and almost immediately afterward, the radio station’s owner announced that Spadea would continue as an on-air personality for an unspecified period of time.

The news that Spadea would simultaneously run for governor while hosting a high-profile talk show where he often speaks about politics and policy led to grumbling from some of his opponents. It’s not clear whether the Election Law Enforcement Commission’s decision to look into the matter resulted from a complaint about Spadea’s campaign.

The commission said Thursday it will host a hearing June 28 on the matter.

Election law attorney Flavio Komuves said it’s rare for state election law officials to determine the value of a media company providing airtime to an employee who is seeking political office.

“I think there’s two questions: One is, is this an in-kind donation, and two, if it is, how should it be valued? And what other considerations apply given that this is a media company?” said Komuves.

In-kind donations are non-cash gifts to campaigns, usually in the form of goods and services. The legal limit for in-kind contributions is $5,800.

A campaign official for Spadea could not be reached for comment, while NJ 101.5 owner Townsquare Media did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement Monday, the media company said Spadea will remain on the air until “he becomes a legally qualified candidate” and that the company has put guidelines in place to make sure his show violates no election laws.

“We are sensitive to the legal parameters attendant keeping a broadcast personality on air while they are seeking public office,” the statement says.

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Democrat Sean Spiller, left, and Republican Bill Spadea have announced they are running for governor in 2025. (Spadea photo courtesy of Hal Brown, Spiller photo courtesy of the New Jersey Governor's Office)

A mayor and a radio talk show host from opposite sides of the aisle have entered the 2025 gubernatorial race painting themselves as outsiders who want to shake up Trenton.

Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller joined the increasingly crowded field for the Democratic nomination for governor Friday and New Jersey101.5 personality Bill Spadea became the latest Republican in the race Monday. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat whose current term expires in January 2026, is barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Dan Cassino, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, noted that the attacks on Trenton from Spadea and Spiller suggest they’re positioning themselves as the alternative to the state’s existing power structures.

“This looks very much like candidates on both sides looking to represent the views of the more ideologically oriented wings of their parties against the institutional power structures that both progressive Democrats and MAGA-oriented Republicans see as sellouts who don’t represent their views,” said Cassino.

Spiller, a high school science teacher and president of statewide teachers union the New Jersey Education Association, said he wants new voices in Trenton instead of more millionaires, attorneys, and Wall Street executives.

“This is our chance for that worker who’s got to work those extra shifts. This is our chance for that small business owner just barely getting by. This is our chance for all of us,” he said in a video announcing his candidacy. 

Spiller’s union is one of Murphy’s biggest political backers and is influential in helping shape the state’s education policy. Spiller’s term as mayor ends next month.

He is the fourth candidate to join the Democratic gubernatorial race, behind Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, and former state Sen. Steve Sweeney. More candidates are expected to jump in the race next year.

On the Republican side, Spadea is one of five declared candidates. State Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, former state Sen. Ed Durr, and real estate broker Robert Canfield all hope to get a chance to flip control of the governor’s office. Ciattarelli came close to unseating Murphy in 2021.

Spadea’s announcement video highlights his current gig as a 101.5 host, saying he hears from callers complaining about taxes, spending, borrowing, inflation, and the “radical liberal nonsense our kids are taught in school,” a line spoken over video of a drag queen reading to children.

Spadea also highlights immigration, though in a much different way than Spiller (Spiller is a son of immigrants, he noted in his own video). Spadea accuses Trenton politicians of opening “the floodgates for illegals getting handouts on your dime.”

“If you’re OK with more of the same, the other Republicans running for governor will give you exactly that,” he said. “I’m running for the people who are sick and tired of expecting little from the politicians we elect, and getting even less.”

The post Two ‘outsiders’ on opposite ends of political spectrum enter New Jersey governor’s race appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.

(Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor)

South Jersey truck driver Ed Durr upended New Jersey politics in 2021 when he toppled one of the state’s most powerful politicians, then-Senate President Steve Sweeney, and won a seat in the state Senate.

Now, Durr — a Trump-loving Republican known as “Ed the Trucker” who served one term before a better-funded Democrat took back the seat last fall — is angling for another upset, and he’s aiming even higher. He announced Monday he’ll run for governor.

“We are in a crisis. New Jersey is broken. Our government is broken. We are financially broken, and we are morally broken,” Durr told supporters at New Life Assembly in Egg Harbor Township.

The announcement got a long round of applause, cheers, and whistles at the event, which focused on school boards, books, and curriculum and where signs around the church stage read: “TEACH ABC NOT SEX” and “YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT BELONG TO THE STATE.” As a senator, Durr introduced legislation, which did not advance, that would have prohibited school districts from teaching students in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual orientation or gender identity and required parental consent on such instruction for older students.

Tuesday, Durr told the New Jersey Monitor that he decided to run “for the people.”

“Our state needs somebody to fight for them,” Durr said. “You got so many people out there saying they want to run, but what I see is they’re running for themselves. I’m running for the people. I don’t care about the fame and the fortune, all that stuff that people worry about. I’m fine with how I am. I’m a plain, simple guy. But the state needs to be turned around, and I know that I would do that.”

Durr joins an increasingly crowded race in a gubernatorial election that’s still 539 days away.

Three other Republicans already have announced plans to run — state Sen. Jon Bramnick, real estate broker Robert Canfield, and Jack Ciattarelli, who came close to ousting Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021.

If Durr can beat them, he could face Sweeney again at the ballot box. Sweeney, a Democrat, announced in December he would run for governor, and Democrats Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop also have declared bids for the seat.

Durr, arguably, is the most right-leaning candidate so far.

In a 7-minute speech at the Egg Harbor church, he hit many conservative talking points, blasting school policies on transgender athletes, sex ed in schools, rising taxes and budgets, gun control, offshore wind, and criminal justice policies that “handcuff” law enforcement officers. He also denounced Murphy’s pandemic response, including the mandate that many public workers get “an experimental and controversial COVID shot.”

Still, he told the New Jersey Monitor he’s weary of the “labels” his views have gotten him.

“I believe in the Constitution,” he said. “I have a lot of libertarian natures in me. I want everybody to just live and let live. And I believe in small government, so yes, I’m conservative. But I’m also open-minded, and I agree with people having a right to say and do what they want to do.”

Durr has returned to Trenton since his term ended in January to speak out against a bill that would lower the age from 16 to 14 that teenagers can seek mental health care without parental consent. He plans to testify against another bill, if it comes up for a hearing, that would standardize library book challenges in New Jersey and protect librarians from harassment, criminal charges, and lawsuits.

Parental rights remain a priority for him, as does affordability, he said.

Durr, 60, of Logan, said he’s running for his three grown children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in New Jersey. As a trucker, he explained, he can live anywhere.

“But I want to stay and fight for my kids and my grandkids and everybody else’s families and futures, because I’m tired of hearing about so many families having to move out of the state and being separated from their loved ones because the taxes are so high they can’t afford to stay,” he said.

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